"His Majesty has arrived!"
Eunuch Wang's voice was extremely penetrating, and Xu Nian and Princess Fukang could hear it clearly from behind the artificial hill.
Everyone immediately knelt down and shouted "Long live the Emperor!" Jiang Mingyun was obviously woken up from her sleep. She was still wearing her bright yellow nightgown underneath, with only a fox fur coat over it. She walked over with her head held high, holding a hot water bottle in her hand.
Even so, the decadent music in the cold palace did not stop.
This shows how large the dosage of drugs the person who orchestrated this farce used. Xu Nian has been in ancient times for so long, and has experienced many assassinations and battles.
But this is the first time I've ever been subjected to such a despicable scheme.
Hearing the sounds inside, the emperor's already pale face darkened even more as he got up. A coward would immediately kneel down and beg for mercy after just one glance.
"Your Majesty, the Princess of Fu'an is young and naive; she must have made a mistake in a moment of confusion..."
Before the imperial concubine could finish speaking, a puzzled voice suddenly came from behind the crowd, "Everyone, what are you all doing gathered here? Has something happened?"
"Nian'er." The crowd parted, revealing two women in red behind them. Xu Nian had even stolen from Princess Fukang. Gu Zhan strode over ahead of the others, "Are you alright?"
He looked Xu Nian up and down, and seeing that her face was rosy and she didn't seem to be injured, he was relieved.
In contrast, the faces of the Imperial Concubine, Liu Qingmei, and the others were quite grim. "You, how did you get here? You, aren't you... then, who is that person inside?"
In her panic, Chen Xuan almost blurted out everything.
Under the glare of the Imperial Concubine, Xu Nian reacted relatively quickly, a hint of disappointment appearing in her eyes. She hadn't originally intended to do it herself.
She spread her hands innocently, "Third Miss, what a question! How would I know who's inside? I just got here and don't even know what happened yet."
"Your Majesty, I..."
"Alright!" Even the most foolish person should have realized by now that they had been tricked by Xu Nian. The Imperial Concubine turned pale as she recalled what she had just said and was about to explain herself.
The emperor, however, had lost his patience. He roared with absolute authority and looked at Xu Nian with a deep gaze, "Fu'an, you tell me, where did you go just now?"
this……
Liu Qingmei's body trembled!
If that bitch Xu Nian were to describe them, would they even be alive?!
But Jiang Mingyun had already spoken, and if they tried to stop her, it would be insubordination, and might even implicate their clan. Never before had she so desperately hoped that Xu Nian would say something in her favor.
The other person's gaze didn't even fall on them. He exchanged a glance with Fukang and said, "Your Majesty, my dress was soiled by Miss Liu shortly after you left your seat..."
She recounted the whole story: "I just met Princess Fukang and we got along well, so I chatted with her for a bit. But when I turned around, the maid who was leading the way was gone. I was wondering about that too."
"Your Highness, how do you explain this?" Jiang Mingyun was still willing to believe Xu Nian; in his mind, this girl's personality was similar to An Qing's.
Given the previous life-saving grace he had received, and the presence of Gu Zhan, he instinctively felt that Xu Nian wouldn't lie.
If that's the case, then the purpose of the imperial concubine who just claimed that the girl inside was the Princess of Fu'an County is questionable, as are the others kneeling in front.
Minister Liu, hidden behind the crowd, noticed the emperor's gaze with his shrewd and calm eyes.
He secretly stroked the jade thumb ring on his thumb and glanced indifferently at the lady beside him.
The Imperial Concubine knelt on the ground, her forehead covered in fine beads of sweat despite the cold winter night. She was in her thirties, her frail body swaying in the wind like a willow branch.
It looked like he was about to faint at any moment!
The Third Prince, seeing his mother in such a state, immediately stepped forward and knelt on the ground. "Father, Mother has been deceived. She listened to others' slander. I beg you to investigate thoroughly."
Many people stood inside and outside the Cold Palace, but no one uttered a sound.
The air was so still you could hear a pin drop. The Imperial Concubine and the Third Prince knelt on the ground. The winter chill seeped into their skin from the marble floor, and their faces soon turned pale.
The emperor seemed not to notice, and as the unbearable sounds in his ears subsided, he gave a wink to the eunuch behind him.
The old eunuch immediately bowed and stepped forward, pushing the door open. Two bodies, still unable to separate, were brazenly displayed before everyone's eyes.
Gu Zhan instinctively covered Xu Nian's eyes, but she still caught a glimpse of that fleeting flesh-colored hue.
[This palace maid looks familiar?]
Are you still staring upstairs? You'll get a sty.
【Oh dear, don't interrupt. This palace maid looks familiar; she seems to be the personal maid of that imperial concubine.】
Now that you mention it, I remember! Last time, when that imperial concubine was possessed by a ghost, it was this maid who brought the news!
Even those who had only seen him once or twice in the comments could recognize him, let alone the eunuchs and maids who had worked in the palace for so many years. Their gloating expressions were impossible to hide.
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, spare my life! It was all my fault for being confused for a moment. Please spare my life, Your Majesty."
Fangling was also clever; at this point, if she continued to make trouble and shift the blame onto Xu Nian, it would only add fuel to the fire. She hadn't even had time to put on her clothes and was kneeling naked on the ground.
His head banged loudly, and soon his forehead turned red.
"Your Highness," Princess Fukang stepped forward and bowed, "this is clearly your maid, why are you trying to pass it off to Princess Fu'an? Do you really not know who is inside?"
Jiang Yuanqing shook his head from the shadows, thinking to himself that this girl was still so reckless.
Everyone suddenly realized, "Yes, the Imperial Concubine's personal maid is gone. How could she not have noticed? If Princess Fu'an hadn't appeared in time, she probably would have been convicted."
Even if you see her at a banquet again, it's hard to imagine that people will have wild thoughts about her!
Jiang Mingyun had clearly considered this as well, and her anger surged. "The Imperial Concubine has lost her virtue and failed to manage her subordinates properly. She is hereby demoted to the rank of Consort Shu and confined to her quarters for three months. As for Fangling, she has defiled the palace and her crime is unforgivable. She shall be beaten to death!"
"Father..."
The third prince crawled a few steps on his knees, trying to grab the emperor's robe.
The other person stopped when he called out, looked down at him with icy eyes, and said, "If you plead for mercy again, you will suffer the same fate as her."
Jiang Yuanlang paused, gritting his teeth as he was about to reach out again, when he heard his mother behind him kowtow and confess her sins, "Your Majesty, I know my sins and thank you for your mercy."
Snow began to fall again in the capital. On the way back, Xu Nian sat in Gu Zhan's carriage and tried to warm her hands with a hot water bottle, but they were still ice cold.
"I don't understand. I never harmed the Imperial Concubine." Even now, despite the fact that the other party has been demoted, she still feels no sense of satisfaction.
Gu Zhan's fingers twitched slightly, and he reached out to ruffle her hair. "Some things, some people, cannot be judged by common sense. You don't need to worry, I've got everything under control."
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